Domino-like game pieces

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for playing a game, in which domino-like members are arranged in abutted relationship by matching a visible symbol on one member with a visible symbol on another member, consists of a set of domino-like members each having two parts, each part bearing a visible symbol and mating elements individual to the symbol borne by the part whereby during the game the correctness of matching is checked by whether the mating elements of the two matched parts will cooperate. One part has mating elements on three sides.

United States Patent [1 1 Kremer Nov.'20, 1973 DOMINO-LIKE GAME PIECES [76] Inventor: Thomas Kremer, 25 St. Jamess Gardens, Holland Park, London, England 221 Filed: Feb. 10, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 225,144

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 12, 1971 Great Britain 4,608/71 [52] US. Cl. 273/137 C, 273/137 D, 35/35 J, 35/70 [51] Int. Cl. A63f 9/20 [58] Field of Search 273/137; 35/69, 70, 35/71 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,937,874 5/1960 Ellison 273/137 C 3,333,351 8/1967 Williams 35/71 X 2,513,596 7/1950 Severson et a1 35/70 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 214,098 4/1924 Great Britain 35/69 22 8/1915 Great Britain 273/137 13 524,102 7/1940 Great Britain 35/69 204,157 9/1923 Great Britain 35/69 Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe Attorney-Raywood I-I. Blanchard [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus for playing a game, in which domino-like members are arranged in abutted relationship by matching a visible symbol on one member with a visible symbol on another member, consists of a set of domino-like members each having two parts, each part bearing a visible symbol and mating elements individual to the symbol borne by the part whereby during the game the correctness of matching is checked by whether the mating elements of the two matched parts will cooperate. One part has mating elements on three sides.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures DOMINO-LIKE GAME PIECES The present invention relates to games in which domino-like members are arranged in abutted relationship by matching a visible symbol on one member with a visible symbol on another member.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a game which is both interesting and instructional.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for playing a game in which domino-like members are arranged in abutted relationship by matching a visible symbol on one member with a visible symbol on another member, the apparatus comprising a set of domino-like members each comprising a first part bearing one of a first set of visible symbols and a second part bearing one of a second set of visible symbols, male and female mating means being provided on the first and second parts, each such mating means being individual to the symbol borne by that part and complementary to the mating means individual to the correctly associated symbol of the other set whereby when the first part of one domino-like member is brought together with the second part of another domino-like member bearing a visible symbol that correctly matches the visible symbol on the first part of the firstmentioned domino-like member,'the male and female mating means on the said parts co-operate to allow the parts to be placed in abutted relationship whereas if the visible symbols are not correctly matched the male and female mating means do not co-operate and the abutted relationship of the parts cannot be achieved.

Advantageously, the co-operation of the mating means of two correctly matched parts interlocks the two parts so as to prevent their accidental separation.

In one form of the invention the male and female mating means comprise respectively complementary shaped projections and sockets there being a different shape of projection and socket for each matching pair of visible symbols.

In a preferred form of the invention, the first set of symbols consists of difi'erent numbers of pips, i.e. one pip, two pips, three pips, etc. and the second set of symbols of different numbers of representations of animals, i.e. one cat, two cats, three cats, etc. For variety, the second set may also include representations of other animals in addition to those of cats, e.g. elephants, seals, pigs, etc.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of some of a first set of dominolike members, and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of one of a second set of domino-like members.

The domino-like members Ila to 11f shown in FIG. 1 are rectangular in plan and the upper face of each one is divided into a first part 12 and a second part 13. The first part 12 bears, as a visible symbol 12', a number of pips and the second part 13, as a visible symbol 13', a number of representations of animals, such as pigs, cats, seals or elephants. The visible symbols 12 make up a first set of visible symbols and the visible symbols 13' a second set of visible symbols. The first part 12 of a member 11 is to be matched with a second part 13 of another member that bears the same number of animals as there are pips on the part I2. Thus, as seen in FIG. I, the first part 12a of a member 1 la bears two pips 12' and is abutted against the second partl3c of a member that bears two seals 13'. The second part 13a of the member 11a bears five cats 13 and against this part is abutted the first part 12b of a member 11b that bears five pips 12'. The remaining members 11d, e and f are similarly arranged as can be seen in FIG. 1.

Each first part 12 is formed with three female mating means, one on each of its sides. Each female mating means consists of a pair of slots 14 the shape of which is individual to the number of pips borne by that first part.

Each second part 13 is formed at its end remote from the first part 12, with a male mating means consisting of two projections 15. The shape of the projections 15 of any particular part 13 is individual to the number of animals borne on that part and is complementary to the shape of the slots 14 that are formed on a first part 12 that bears the same number of pips. Thus, all first parts 12 that bear two pips will have slots 14 of the shape shown at 14a and this shape is complementary to the shape of the projections 15 on all second parts 13 that bear two animals, e.g. the shape of the projections 150. As the first parts 12 are provided with female mating means 14 on each of their three free edges, the members 11 can be abutted both end-to-end, i.e. as 11a and 11b in FIG. 1 and end-to-end, i.e. as 11a and lid in FIG. 1, thus enabling a visually pleasing array of members to be built up in many interesting patterns.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the shapes of the slots 14 and projections 15 are such that when the latter are lodged in the former, they can only be removed by moving one member perpendicularly out of the plane of the other. This ensures that, once two members are correctly abutted, they cannot be accidentally separated, which is advantageous if they are to be used by children.

It will be appreciated that pips and representations of animals are only examples of the many different visible symbols that can be used. In general, the sets may be made up of pairs of any symbols that have an association. In another form of the invention, not shown in the drawings, the first parts carry simple sums, for example 3 3, or 5 3, or 2 X 4, or 10 5, while the second parts carry the answers to these sums, e.g. 6, 2, 8 and 2. Thus, the sets of domino-like members can be used to teach the association of any two ideas or values that can be represented by a visible symbol on the members.

The teaching capacity of the apparatus of the invention is greatly enhanced by the fact that it is selfchecking, i.e. if a wrong matching is attempted, the two members cannot be abutted. An example of a teaching use of the apparatus is the form in which one set of visible symbols are nouns, e.g. cat, house, car and then are matched with a second set consisting of representations of the articles named in the first set.

A further form of the invention, shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, differs from that described above in the form of the mating means. In this further form, the first part 12 of each of the members 11 is provided at its free end with a pair of pegs 15, constituting male mating means, and the second part 13 with three pairs of apertures 14 (only two of which pairs can be seen in FIG. 2), consituting female mating means, the location and spacing of the pegs l5 and apertures 14 being individual to the figure or number of representations respectively shown on the part. Thus, the pegs 15 shown in FIG. 2 will fit only in the apertures 14 of a first part 13 of another member that bears the numeral 2.

In an alternative form, not shown in the drawings, the mating means are constituted by single pegs and apertures, having a selection of different cross-sectional shapes individual to the pairs of visible symbols.

I claim:

1 Apparatus for playing a game in which dominolike members are arranged in abutted relationship by matching a visible symbol means on one member with a visible symbol on another member, said apparatus comprising:

a set of rectangular domino-like members comprising a first part bearing one of a set of first visible symbol means, which first symbol means each consist of one of a group of numbers represented in a particular manner, and a second part bearing one of a set of second visible symbol means, which second symbol means each consist of one of the same group of numbers represented in a particular manner that is different from the manner of the first symbol means;

male and female interlocking mating means provided on said first and second parts, at least one of the parts of each member bearing mating meanson all three of its edges, each mating means being individual to the symbol'm'eans borne by that part and complementary in'shape to the shape of the mating means individual to the symbol of the other set that represents the same number, whereby when the first part of one domino-like member is brought together with the second part ofanother domino-like meber bearing a visible symbol means that represents the same number that is represented by the visible symbol means on the first part of the firstmentioned domino-like member, the male and female mating means on the said parts cooperate to allow the parts to be placed in abutted relationship and to interlock them in that relationship, whereas if the visible symbol means do not represent the same number the male and female mating means do not cooperate and the abutted relationship of the parts cannot be achieved. 

1. Apparatus for playing a game in which domino-like members are arranged in abutted relationship by matching a visible symbol means on one member with a visible symbol on another member, said apparatus comprising: a set of rectangular domino-like members comprising a first part bearing one of a set of first visible symbol means, which first symbol means each consist of one of a group of numbers represented in a particular manner, and a second part bearing one of a set of second visible symbol means, which second symbol means each consist of one of the same group of numbers represented in a particular manner that is different from the manner of the first symbol means; male and female interlocking mating means provided on said first and second parts, at least one of the parts of each member bearing mating means on all three of its edges, each mating means being individual to the symbol means borne by that part and complementary in shape to the shape of the mating means individual to the symbol of the other set that represents the same number, whereby when the first part of one domino-like member is brought together with the second part of another domino-like meber bearing a visible symbol means that represents the same number that is represented by the visible symbol means on the first part of the first-mentioned dominolike member, the male and female mating means on the said parts cooperate to allow the parts to be placed in abutted relationship and to interlock them in that relationship, whereas if the visible symbol means do not represent the same number the male and female mating means do not cooperate and the abutted relationship of the parts cannot be achieved. 